'Only oncologists should administer chemotherapy'

'Only oncologists should administer chemotherapy'

JAKARTA (JP): A medical oncologist from the University of
Indonesia expressed concern here on Tuesday over the widespread
use of cancer treatment that relies on medicine or chemical
therapy, better known as chemotherapy, by doctors regardless of
their background.

A. Harryanto Reksodiputro warned that actually not all
physicians were allowed to undertake chemotherapy on cancer
patients as only internists specializing in medical oncology were
eligible to do so.

Harryanto explained that chemotherapy might affect patients'
blood and body organs, thereby worsening their state of health.

"Physicians with other specialisms may treat cancer, but not
using chemotherapy. Since the number of medical oncologists is
limited in Indonesia, we can do nothing should other physicians
use the treatment.

"But in the future, we should uphold the basic rules of
medical treatment," he told a media briefing.

Harryanto explained that there were surgical oncologists
specializing in cancer surgery, including biopsy and surgical
resection of tumor, and radiation oncologists specializing in
treating cancer with therapeutic radiation.

He added that in Indonesia there were only 40 medical
oncologists, of whom 18 resided in the capital. This number is
far below the approximately 1,000 medical oncologists in the
U.S., which has a population of 200 million, about the same as
Indonesia's.

Chairman of the Indonesian Society of Hematology and Blood
Transfusion Zubairi Djoerban urged patients intending to consult
a chemotherapy expert to phone 021-392 6286, the secretariat
office of the society at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.

Harryanto said that the invention of medication to stimulate
the production of leucocytes in cancer patients had created
greater hope in treating the illness.

"The aim is no longer to extend patients' lives, but to
totally heal the cancer. Based on our experience, even leukemia
blood cancer, believed to be incurable, has a greater chance of
being cured compared with other cancers, such as breast or
prostate cancer," he said.

The Tuesday's media briefing was aimed at publicizing the
ninth National Congress of the Indonesian Society of Hematology
and Blood Transfusion, to be held in Semarang from Sept. 7 to
Sept. 9.

The congress is expected to set out the progress of medication
for illnesses related to the blood and blood-producing organs, as
well as partial blood transfusion.

Harryanto's colleague, Karmel L. Tambunan, said that blood
clotting within blood vessels, or thrombosis, had become the
number one killer in Western countries, where 60 percent of
deaths were caused by blood flow disorders to the heart or brain.

"While people think that suffering a stroke means they should
have their heart or head examined, most of the cases are caused
by thrombosis.

"I have also found that about 280 cases of recurring fetal
miscarriage over the last three years were caused by thrombosis,"
he added. (bby)